Non-Profit Spotlight and Interview: Holly’s House
Farmer Scott Ozete Robinson & Schmitt LLP is proud to support Holly’s House, a non-profit, non-residential victim advocacy center. We recently had the opportunity to interview Executive Director, Kristine Cordts, to learn more about how Holly’s House empowers victims of intimate crime and abuse. We have learned that the number of children reporting abuse is increasing and Holly’s House is working to keep up with the needs of families in crisis.
It is everyone’s responsibility to report child abuse right away even if abuse is only suspected, by calling the Indiana Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline: 1-800-800-5556. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.
Q: What is the mission of Holly’s House and how can individuals and businesses in our community help support that mission?
A: We provide support, promote justice, and prevent violence. Holly’s House is the entry point for both the path toward justice and the path toward healing for an abuse survivor.
There are several ways to support Holly’s House financially, through individual donations, attending a fundraising event, employer giving, matching donations, monthly donations, or planned giving. Donating is easy through our website, www.hollyshouse.org/donate or by mailing a check. We also work with donor-advised funds and can provide additional information regarding stock conversion or estate planning.
Sponsoring an event is a great way for businesses to partner with Holly’s House. We four fundraising events every year; a family-friendly movie night, Walking for Dreams a fall golf outing, and our annual Brian Turpin Service Awards to recognize individuals who help children who have experienced abuse.
We always need white copy paper to provide take-home information in our schools and resources for our families. We also take donations of bottled water and individually wrapped snacks. We have an Amazon wish list for more specific items.
Q: How does Holly’s House receive referrals? And what happens when someone comes to Holly’s House?
A: All allegations of child abuse must be co-investigated by the Department of Child Services (DCS) and law enforcement in the jurisdiction where the incident occurred. But those locations, a DCS office or a police station, are not victim-friendly spaces in which our team can gain trust and discuss healing. Holly’s House acts as the neutral home for the investigation and is equipped with forensic interview spaces in which our trained forensic interviewers provide neutral and defendable, child-led interviews through an approved protocol.
Teams of investigators watch the interviews live in another room, allowing the child to share the details of their abuse one time. Investigators will then determine a safety plan for the survivor and how to move forward with the investigation. When we promote justice, we bring best practices to our teams of investigators and prosecutors, by partnering to bring national training to each team. We offer a welcoming space designed for our purposes, with fun waiting areas, snacks, and places to relax and play games while we help families deal with crisis situations.
A disclosure of abuse most likely involves a family friend or family member as the perpetrator. Over 94% of perpetrators reported last year fit that category. So, the entire family suffers this trauma and is often separated. Custody may change quickly, creating immediate needs for basic things like housing, food, clothing, and childcare. Survivors and their families also need help understanding self-regulatory tools to deal with trauma triggers. In addition to providing a safe and supportive environment for reporting, Holly’s House helps provide those family support connections and resources.
Q: Why is it important to have trained forensic interviewers and investigators interviewing victims of crime, especially young victims?
A: The movement of Child Advocacy Centers across the country grew out of the need for neutral interviewers, people who were not compensated for arresting criminals or upholding laws. Holly’s House provides neutral forensic interviewers who are paid by a nonprofit to follow a child-led protocol. Through both training and experience, forensic interviewers quickly gain the trust of children, allowing them to speak about trauma when and as they choose. The interviewers ask open-ended questions and allow children to disclose anything in their lives that makes them feel unsafe. This open-ended technique is more defensible in court than if co-investigators completed the interviews.
Q: What are the recent trends for victim support at Holly’s House?
A: Holly’s House continues to see the number of children reporting abuse increase. In 2022, we served 401 children at Holly’s House through forensic interviews, an increase of 33% from 2021. This was across our 8-county service area including Gibson, Knox, Pike, Perry, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick Counties.
Q: One of the three P’s you mentioned is preventing violence. What are some prevention programs led by Holly’s House?
A: Holly’s House initiated a child abuse prevention program in 2010 after identifying more than 68% of children served at our facility were under the age of thirteen. The program has reached more than 100,000 students since its inception to provide education to 15,000 students this school year.
Current research indicates that 1 in 10 children will experience sexual abuse before the age of 18. It is estimated that only 10% of these victims will be identified and receive appropriate intervention to help them heal from the trauma. Early identification of children experiencing abuse is essential to ensuring their safety and initiating support services.
In prevention, just $20 serves one child with the grade-level training needed to stay safe for the year. No government funds are available to cover the cost of state-mandated prevention education, so again, we look to the generosity of community members to prevent abuse before it begins. Every child deserves the right to grow up free from abuse. The Holly’s House prevention program is available for students in Pre-K-sixth grade and is taught at both public and private schools. Programs can be taught in person or virtually with a live instructor.
Q: Thank you for this interview and for all that Holly’s House does to provide support, promote justice, and prevent violence.